The Cell Biology/Morphology Core provides individual investigators with technical support, equipment, and expertise for cell biological, morphological and immunocytochemical studies related to the mission of the BADERC grant. The expertise of the PI and his colleagues spans a wide range of imaging procedures, from basic and confocal light/fluorescence microscopic analysis of antigen localization, to high resolution electron microscopy and immunogold labeling on ultrathin frozen sections of cells and tissues, and quantitative live cell imaging and ratiometric imaging. The Core will, as a major objective, provide an environment appropriate for the training of key personnel from participating laboratories. The rationale for the Core lies in the necessity to provide an integrated approach to problems in Diabetes and other designated research areas, in an era when no single laboratory can develop the highest level of technical competence in several important and specialized areas. In addition, the Cell Biology Core is designed to maximize the use and availability of several specialized items of equipment, that are not only prohibitively expensive for many laboratories, but that also require expensive and regular maintenance. The techniques offered by the Core require a high level of sophisticated technology that is constantly being updated to maintain state-of-the-art performance. Thus, investigators are able to explore the use of a varied and constantly expanding arsenal of methods in order to achieve success in their studies. These procedures are an essential part of the modern multidisciplinary approach to cell biological questions as they relate to Diabetes and Endocrinology.